Oral focal mucinosis of the hard palate and gingiva

Fernando Kendi Horikawa
Universidade de São Paulo, School of Dentistry

Bruno Fernandes Matuck
Universidade de São Paulo, School of Dentistry

Suzana Cantanhede Orsini Machado de Sousa
Universidade de São Paulo, School of Dentistry

Fábio Abreu Alves
A.C. Camargo Cancer Center

Keywords:
Mucinosis, Soft Tissue Injuries, Gingiva, Palate, Hard

Abstract

Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is an uncommon, asymptomatic, submucosal, slow-growing nodule representing a counterpart of the cutaneous focal mucinosis (CFM). OFM has a female predilection with the highest prevalence in the fifth decade of life. About 68% of OFMs occur in the gingiva and 14% in the palate. We present the case of a 41-year-old woman presenting a progressively growing mass on the palate, since the last 8 months. The diagnostic workup led to the diagnosis of an unusual OFM with the clinical presentation involving the gingiva and hard palate. This case report discusses the clinical and histopathological differential diagnosis.

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